WP: White House Wages A War on Clarke

[kskiska]

Bush Aides Move to Head Off Damage

Friday, March 26, 2004; Page A01

As his advisers tell it, President Bush had tired of the White House playing defense on issue after issue. So this week, his aides turned the full power of the executive branch on Richard A. Clarke, formerly the administration's top counterterrorism official, who charges in his new book that Bush responded lackadaisically in 2001 to repeated warnings of an impending terrorist attack.

Bush's aides unleashed a two-pronged strategy that called for preemptive strikes on Clarke before most people could have seen his book, coupled with saturation media appearances by administration aides. They questioned the truthfulness of Clarke's claims, his competence as an employee, the motives behind the book's timing, and even the sincerity of the pleasantries in his resignation letter and farewell photo session with Bush.

The barrage was unusual for a White House that typically tries to ignore its critics, and it was driven by White House calculations that Clarke would appear credible to average viewers. Bush's advisers are concerned that Clarke's assertions are capable of inflicting political damage on a president who is staking his claim for reelection in large measure on his fight against terrorism.

James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, said he had been stunned by the ferocity of the White House campaign but said Clarke "is raising fundamental questions about the credibility of the president and his staff in regard to what they did to keep America safe."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25176-2004Mar25.html

[burythehatchet]

1. In a related story, sales of Richard Clark's book have gone through

the roof as it is already #1 on amazon


BRING IT ON CHIMPY

[0007]

8. 'Tis one hell of a book so far

junior better shut up, he's booking a looser.

Jim Lehrer shot down Rumsfeld tonight on PBS in a classic interview.

The WH has the full court press on and it ain't working.

[gasperc]

30. and what's with the "declassify" Clarke's testimony to see if he perjured

fuck off, declassify everything you mother fuckers

[4dsc]

20. I couldn't find a copy yesterday

at the local book store..

[Occulus]

34. Check the "off" locations

I got mine at Meijer. There were several copies on the shelf.

[goforit]

2. BOLOGNA!!!!!.....Bush assasinates the character of all his critics!!!

"The barrage was unusual for a White House that typically tries to ignore its critics, and it was driven by White House calculations that Clarke would appear credible to average viewers."

Ignore their critics ...my ass!!

It is certainly nice to watch them panic though.

[Frances]

6. What was the White House doing when it outed Wilson's wife?

n/t

[DemMother]

11. And when they went after Paul O'Neill...

not to mention the attacks on the Democrats who criticized them--Bush slandered all the Democrats with his remark about some of them not wanting to defend the country, or whatever it was he said when he was trying to get ****land Security through. (I will not use that uber alles term--it's as offensive to me as the worst profanity).

[pinniped]

15. These corrupt illegal squatters would like their numerous critics...

to fly in small planes.

[cybildisobedience]

18. heard that on C-Span this morning

My first thought was, "Which Washington Post suck-up wrote THAT article?"
Then I saw that it was Mike Allen, notorious Bush bootlicker, and it all made sense.

One more question: What planet has Mike Allen has been on that he hasn't noticed that Bush's critics tend to either be excoriated, discredited, or dead in some mysterious, convenient accident/suicide?

[kentuck]

3. He went into their kitchen and opened the door to their refrigerator

and was about to take the only piece of cheese they had left. They will fight like the rats they are for the only issue they have left in the refrigerator.

[Beetwasher]

4. This is Friggin' Dynamite!!

Is it me or is the tone of this article MOCKING the WH?!?

--snip--

"Bush's aides unleashed a two-pronged strategy that called for preemptive strikes on Clarke before most people could have seen his book, coupled with saturation media appearances by administration aides."

--snip--

"James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, said he had been stunned by the ferocity of the White House campaign but said Clarke "is raising fundamental questions about the credibility of the president and his staff in regard to what they did to keep America safe.""

This is awesome! They are FREAKING out and going so over the top it's COMICAL and LUDCRIOUS!!

[rustydog]

5. Again, they aren't refuting his testimony..they are trying to soil the

reputation of the man himself.
they can't argue the truth, they can't change the message, so they'll try to kill the messenger.

truth is a vile monster which Bush fears greatly.

[Frances]

7. You are so right.

They couldn't argue against what Wilson said so they tried to smear him. They did the same thing with O'Neil.

[rooboy]

9. If Clarke lied under oath , THEN PROSECUTE HIM FOR PERJURY...

but they won't, will they???

[leftchick]

26. lol... I just heard a Dem rep. on MSRNC...

say just that rooboy! The reich winger was speechless. :)

[ben_thayer]

10. HA HA

Methinks they doth protest too much...

:evilgrin:

[0007]

12. Very good article

[SodoffBush]

13. MSNBC has Bush "going on the offensive"--haha (dream on!)

The Bushies are scurrying about the WH trying to cover their asses and MSNBC calls it "offense." That takes imagination.

Meanwhile, where's Kerry? This is his time to go after the Bushies. HE'S the one who needs to go on offense. Attack, attack, attack. Hit the bastards while they're down.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Like the stolen election --

"'I don't think the American people believe that a president would, in a cavalier way, turn his back on information that could jeopardize the nation,' Rogich said."

This is how the American people were sold the stolen election. People don't want to believe what the Bush cabal is capable of, from both incompetence and complete lack of principle. I hope some eyes are opening.

(The WP is doing a pretty good job of covering developments today --)

[leftchick]

16. I LOVE this part....

<"They are vulnerable, which is why they are attacking so hard," Thurber said. "You have to go back to Vietnam or Watergate to get the same feel about the structure of argument coming out of the White House against Clarke's statements."

Bookstores reported soaring demand for the book, "Against All Enemies," which was published Monday and is in its fifth printing, with almost 500,000 copies in print.

A poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, conducted Monday through Wednesday, found significant public interest in Clarke's criticisms, with nearly nine in 10 of the 1,065 Americans surveyed saying they had heard of them. Of those polled, 42 percent said they had heard "a lot" about his claims and 47 percent said they had heard "a little.">

... Vietnam and Watergate!!! Woo Hoo!! :)

[snippy]

17. This phrase says a lot "Clarke would appear credible to average viewers."

If Clarke's criticisms are truthful and valid, then Clarke must be destroyed to prevent "average" Americans from learning the truth.

If Clarke's criticisms are not truthful and valid, then Clarke must be destroyed because "average" Americans are so stupid they may believe him.

The Bush White House is so arrogant that it is willing to reveal to a reporter the administration's concern about Clarke's credibility and the intentions of the administration to manipulate the "average" American's perception of Clarke's criticism.

What odious fucks.

[Snellius]

19. What's weird is that the WH knew all this was coming for a year

They did as lame a job of preparing for Clarke as they did preparing for a terrorist attack. Clarke submitted this book to the WH for security clearance almost a year ago. They delayed passing it until now. So the WH knew everything that Clarke was intending to charge. They obviously know -- or know that Clarke knows -- more than is even revealed in Clarke's attack. Maybe that's why they're afraid of Condi testifying under oath. To defend the President, she would have to lie. But if she lied, there are likely others who would come forward to further discredit her.

[SemperEadem]

27. yeah, at the hearings Clarke said as much

when asked by one of the rethugs why his book was coming out now, in the election year, he told them that was finished a year ago and submitted to the white house and they didn't get it back to him until this year.

Boy, Clarke made these idiots look like the fools they are. I just loved it when he told that one senator "this isn't about morality, this is about politics..." Priceless!!!!!!

Between Richard Clarke and Hans Blix, I don't know for which of the two I'm more of a fan. They are both World Heroes to me. And I'm going to buy the book as soon as I can.

[0007]

21. Harry Reid D-Nevada is praising Richard Clarke on the Senate Floor

Has been going on for 15 minutes and still going on about all the good things Mr. Clarke has done. Showing newspaper articles and quoting all the VIP's that knows Clarke and his work.

[mainer]

22. Now Rand Beers needs to be seen on the circuit, too

Since Beers was the successor to Clarke in the White House, he's another voice we need to hear! Having him back up Clarke would add another layer of ammunition.

[RedCloud]

23. Zero accountability

That's what the WH wants.

#1. Watch as Bush reads a goat story to kids as the worst day of disaster in our history unfurls.

#2. Pull out the flag and drown out any criticism/analysis with God Bless America (except on 9-11?).

#3. Never prove conclusively who done it. Simply employ Hitler's force of repetition technique hoping to convert the masses to ever changing targets.

#4. Forestall any investigation as to how it could have happened, who got stinking rich off of it. Stamp out any connections to the WH and the $43,000,000 given to the Taliban in May, 2001, The Bin-Laden free air exit out of the USA Sept. 12, 2001, etc., etc.

#5. Give megabuck raises to those who should have been grilled to guarantee their silence/cooperation while depleting the Social Security deposits.

#6. Spend hundreds of billions of dollars after scaring the hell out of America to fight "wars" against very weak opponents but ensuring the energy moguls get it all protected.

[Catfight]

25. Halliburton Whores

Don't forget profiteers Hey, new movie idea, The Three Profiteers-stealing from the poor to give to the rich!

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

24. Link to this

How many more have to come forward before.....http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=6490&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

[revcarol]

33. I had forgotten about Greg Theilmann

so many SO FAR...THE DAM HAS BIG CRACKS IN IT.

[Ravy]

28. Notice they said they were attacking Clarke because he would...

... appear credible to average viewers.

Not because he was wrong.

[gasperc]

29. jeez if they just put an ounce of the resources they're blowing on Clarke

into getting OBL, we may have had by now, but quoting clarke"it's two years too late"

[Piperay]

31. So then prosecute him

for perjury, why aren't they doing that if he lied...WHY. :think:

[Woodstock]

32. Frist said, ``Loyalty to any administration will be no defense

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3907093,00.html

Frist said, ``Loyalty to any administration will be no defense if it is found that he has lied to Congress.''

Let's mark that down for posterity. First said loyalty to Bush is no defense for lies. Then if he's a man of his word, the Bush Administration is in big trouble. Lies and Loyalty to Bush defines them.